Shelf support



Patented Jan. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHELF SUPPORT Rodger J. Backman, Rockford, Ill.

Application September 11, 1950, Serial No. 184,185

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to shelf supports and more particularly to that type used in supporting detachable shelves in mechanical refrigerators and cabinets.

It has for an object to provide a bracket to be quickly and easily attached to a sheet metal wall without the need for screws or other fastening means.

A further object is the provision of a bracket having a headed shank to nt into a specially shaped opening in the sheet metal wall of a cabinet or refrigerator with provisions to tighten the support as it is turned from its installing position.

A still further object is the provision of a bracket for shelving in a cabinet or refrigerator havinga headed shank to fit into a special shaped socket in the inner shell of a double wall construction with provisions for a locking action upon turning the bracket from its inserted position, and further for the provision of easy replacement of any bracket which may become broken or damaged.

Another object is the provision of a bracket member for shelving which is stubby for its overall length so that it may be easily molded o resinous material to provide great tensile strength in the portion subject to strain, and great resistance to bending in the portion supporting the overhung load, and permits taking advantage of the inherent characteristics of molded resin to allow the metallic mating member to bite into the gripping portion of the bracket, for a tight, permanent junction.

Further objects will be apparent from the following specification, appended claims and drawings thereof in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a refrigerator showing brackets in place;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a bracket member;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the bracket;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a shaped opening to receive a support showing the shank and lugs in place, and

Fig. 5 is a section through the socket member only on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

In mechanical refrigerators and some sheet metal cabinets, there is a double wall construction which makes it impossible to get to the back face of the inner wall for access to screws l' or other fastening means in case a replacement becomes necessary. In mechanical refrigerators this space between the inner and outer wallsv is filled with insulating material to add to the complications in making replacements.

This invention provides for an original installa` tion, or a replacement installation as the case may be, as in either case, a bracket when properly installed and when not subjected to abuse, will last for the life of the equipment. Ii a replacement becomes necessary, the broken shank may be pushed out of the way, as for instance, into the insulating material, when a new shank is inserted and turned in the opening.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a portion of a refrigerator including a shelf It) which comprises a marginal frame II and the usual longitudinal bars I2. The marginal frame II may have the loops I3 formed therein to fit over the short stubby brackets I4.

A plurality of these brackets are provided so that the shelving is properly located and supported. Each bracket I4 comprises a short stubby body portion I5 which terminates in a flattened head IG, and an enlarged flange I'I which forms a shoulder I3 to bear against a supporting wall I9. A shank 20 extends axially from the shoulder is and has lugs 2l formed thereon.

The body portion I5 is cylindrical in shape so that a loop I3 may be easily placed over it, and the length of this portion is slightly longer than the diameter of the stock from which the marginal frame II is formed. There may be some lateral play in the shelving when in place, so the heads I6 serve to prevent the shelving from slipping off the support and the enlarged flanges I'I prevent the shelving from coming into contact with the inner wall I9 of the refrigerator or cabinet as the case may be.

The sheet metal from which the inner wall I is formed will be punched to provide sockets 22 shown in Fig. 4. Each of these sockets has a central circular portion 23 formed in the diametrically opposed horizontal quadrants and enlargements 24 in the diametrically opposed vertical quadrants. The diameter of the enlarged areas is slightly larger than the diameter of the lugs 2| on the shank 20 and the circular portion 23 is slightly larger` than the diameter of the shank 2D so that a sliding t is provided for inserting the shank 20 and lugs 2I into the hole 23 and enlargement 24. In punching the sockets 22 the punch will provide for rounding sharp corners and for llets in the sharp recesses so that the shank and lugs on the bracket will not k be damaged during the installation.

i inserted inthe hole 22.

The overhanging metal in each horizontal quadrant forms a locking member 28 which engages a lug 2| when the support is installed. To insure a gripping contact with the inclined face 2l of the lug 2| when the support is installed, the locking member 28 has its leading edge 29 in a plane common to that of the wall I9, but progressively from this leading edge to the trailing edge 30 this locking member 23 is depressed from this common plane, with the greatest depression at trailing edge 30. The inner edge 3| of this locking member is formed into an advancing screw thread, of substantially the same pitch as the inclined face 21 of the lug 2|.

When the bracket I4 has its shank 29 inserted in the hole 22 and then the bracket is rotated in a clockwise direction, the face 21 on the lug 2| engages under a locking member 28. As it is turned, the lug 2| impinges the face of the side wall I9 against the shoulder I8 and tends to bend this depressed area against the inherent resistance of the metal and to bind the resinous material of the lug 2| against the harder material of the locking member 213. This forms a junction which remains under compression during the life of the equipment to hold the bracket lli against reverse rotation and loosening.

The bracket I4 may be made of soft metal, but it will preferably be molded of resinous material because of cost and ease of production. An advantage to the use of plastic material is that when the lugs 2| on the shank 2-'3 engage the hard metallic locking members 28, of the side wall I3, it is possible for the face 2? of the lug 2| to seize to the metal and provide a uniform and nonslipping junction between the plastic and metal.

In case an impact causes one of the Shanks 2U to break on?, the broken part will fall between the double wall, and a new support may be installed as in the original case. In a refrigerator installation, the insulating material behind the broken part may hold it in place. However, in that case, the broken part may be pushed to one side to accommodate a new support, or the new support may push the broken part further back into the insulation.

While this bracket is not intended as a removable xture when used in refrigerators, its use in cabinets may utilize its easy removal feature for those cases where a change in the spacing of the shelving is desired. Removal of the bracket may be accomplished by rotating the body E in a counterclockwise direction until the lugs may be withdrawn through the enlargement 24, and the support moved to its new position in one of a series of holes provided for such changes.

This method of mounting the bracket very closely resembles a breech block mounting wherein the shank 2i] is positioned correctly with respect to the socket 22 and inserted in place until the flange Il' engages the wall i9, then a partial twist fastens it in place. In this instance however the softer resinous bracket seizes upon the locking member and causes a permanent frictional contact and tension to exist to hold the parts together and against unintentional release.

The central opening 23 formed in the horizontal quadrants provides a pivotal axis for the shank 2i), as the constrictions thus formed prevent the shank from shifting into one of the enlarged opening areas.

I claim:

1. In a shelf support, the combination of a supporting wall formed with an aperture for the reception of a support bracket, said Wall being formed with spaced cut away portions extending radially outward from the periphery of the aperture and separated thereat by solid wall portions of substantial extent, said solid Wall portions each being depressed progressively rearwardly from the plane of the supporting wall in one direction angularly about the aperture, and a support bracket formed with an enlarged transverse shoulder presenting a flat inner face to engage the front face of the supporting wall, a shank extending rearwardly from the shoulder and dimensioned to pass freely through the yaperture in the supporting wall, and spaced enlarged transverse lugs of substantial extent at the rear end of the shank dimensioned to pass freely through said cut away portions extending from the aperture in the supporting wall, said lugs yat their inner faces adjacent said flat face on the shoulder being inclined progressively rearwardly at substantially the same angle as said solid wall portions around the aperture in the supporting wall, the inner face on each supporting lug at one point thereon intermediate its rearward inclination being spaced from said at face on the shoulder by a distance equal to the thickness of the supporting wall and being operative to exert a clamping force over a substantial extent of the corresponding solid wall portion of the supporting wall when the bracket is inserted into said aperture and turned angularly in the direction of the rearward inclination of said solid wall portions.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said supporting wall is of metal and said bracket is of integral molded resin construction, with said lugs on the bracket being operative to seize upon said solid wall portions around the aperture in the supporting wall for tight engagement therewith when the bracket is inserted into said aperture in the supporting wall and turned.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said cut away portions in the supporting Wall are diametrically opposed and substantially form quadrants separated by intervening quadrants formed by said solid wall portions, and said lugs each have a transverse extent slightly less than the extent of the corresponding cut away portion for engagement with said solid wall portions over substantially the entire extent of the latter.

4. The combination of a supporting wall formed with an aperture for the reception of an attachment bracket, spaced resilient metal members of substantial extent inclined progressively in a direction rearwardly away from said supporting wall at locations spaced around the aperture therein, and an attachment bracket formed with an enlarged transverse shoulder presenting a face for engaging the front face of the supporting wall, a shank extending rearwardly from the shoulder and dimensioned to pass freely through the aperture in the supporting wall, and spaced enlarged transverse lugs of substantial extent at the inner end of said shank dimensioned to pass between said resilient metal members, said lugs at their inner faces toward said shoulderv being inclined progressively rearwardly at substantially the same angle as said resilient metal members and being operative to exert a clamping force over a substantial extent of the rear faces of said resilient metal members when the bracket is turned angularly in the direction of the rearward inclination of said resilient metal members after being inserted through the aperture in the suporting wall to position its shoulder abutting against the front face of the supporting Wall.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein said bracket is of integral molded resin construction, with said lugs on the bracket being operative to seize upon said resilient metal members for tight locking engagement therewith when the bracket is inserted through said aperture in the supporting Wall and turned.

6. The combination of claim 4, wherein said resilient metal members are diametrically opposed from one another and form spaced arcuate quadrantsl and said lugs are formed as spaced arcuate quadrants for engaging said resilient metal members over substantially the entire extent of the latter.

RODGER J. BACKMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 1,857,530 Bandridge et al. Mar. l0, 1932 2,244,978 Tinnerman June 10, 1941 2,258,668 Zahodiakin Oct. 14, 1941 2,282,360 Horrocks May 12, 1942 

